Soap, toothpaste, toothbrush.

Menstrual hygiene products, diapers, baby wipes. 

Underwear – small sizes are preferable. And new. 

Also, deodorants.

In bulk, if possible. 

These are some of the supplies that Denver officials say the shelters need, as the number of immigrants arriving in the city in the last week jumped to nearly 250 per day on average. 

That, the city said, is a sharp increase from the 20 to 30 who came to Denver daily over the past few months.

“With the sharp increase in migrant arrivals this week, the shelters are nearing capacity limits, and the city is calling on community partners including non-profits, churches and other organizations to provide assistance with shelters, donations and other general support,” the city said on Friday. 

Denver area shelters – at or near capacity – brace for immigrant surge

The city said immigrants are being welcomed at the city’s Reception Center between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., and the center will be open throughout the weekend.

Officials added that the city is doing “everything possible to ensure people are not unsheltered,” particularly given unexpected severe weather that often occurs during the spring.

Currently, five shelters are operating in the city, housing more than 1,500 people.

Under pressure from critics and allies alike, the Biden administration is scrambling to curb the surge of people crossing the U.S. border with Mexico now that Title 42, a pandemic-era rule that allowed the U.S. government to immediately expel immigrants, has expired. 

In its most forceful statement yet, the Biden administration said those who crossed into the U.S. illegally won’t be eligible for asylum.

“Starting tonight, people who arrive at the border without using a lawful pathway will be presumed ineligible for asylum,” Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas said in a statement on Thursday night. 

No lawful entry? No asylum: Biden administration responds to immigrants’ surge at border, influx in Denver

Mayorkas added, “Do not believe the lies of smugglers. The border is not open.”

In Denver, the surge of immigrants has become palpable in the last few days, straining resources and once more getting the city to a breaking point. 

On Tuesday, Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock declared an emergency activation – his second in five months – to leverage federal resources to address the humanitarian crisis.

Huge influx of migrants prompts Denver Mayor Michal Hancock to approve emergency activation

The city has spent nearly $16 million since December to support arriving immigrants. The federal government, Hancock said during a press conference Thursday, has reimbursed the city about $900,000. The influx illustrates the calamity that’s been unfolding at the U.S. border for years, a crisis that is spilling over into cities in America’s interior, including Denver, which is more than 600 miles from El Paso, Texas, the closest U.S. border.

City officials said the immigrants pick Denver because of El Paso’s relative proximity to Denver, at least in terms of being able to get to the city by bus with relative ease. Officials also noted that the bus fare to Denver is less expensive from West Texas to other places in the country. Organizations that support the immigrant community also highlight the resources and diversity in the community, as well as its status as a “sanctuary city,” as reasons attracting the immigrants to Denver.